


the ghost of you

by kim_wonpil



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Past Death of a Character, beach, ghost au, markhyuck, nomin, set in jeju, summer home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:54:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26182993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kim_wonpil/pseuds/kim_wonpil
Summary: mark lee visits his summer home in jeju, and meets a purple haired boy with transparent skin.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	the ghost of you

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was inspired by @rawraau’s fanart on twitter! please give her a follow ❤️

Mark trudged inside once he’d opened the door to the holiday house, a feeling of deja vu returning inside of him. He remembered being six, flying to Jeju Island for the first time with his mother and father, walking through this exact same door and pulling his heavy watermelon suitcase inside. A nineteen year old Mark, with a slightly more mature suitcase, trod up the stairs, lugging the case behind him. When he reached his practically empty room, apart from a bed, wardrobe, television and bedside tables, he dropped it on the floor and flopped onto his comfy bed.

When he woke up from an unexpected nap, the window was sitting on the latch, the sky turning a milky orange. Mark stretched his arms, a weird after-nap taste in his mouth. He stood up, his vision blurring with only spots. A cool breeze entered through the open window, sweeping through his skin and a small portion of goosebumps appeared on his skin. The salt of the sea had already crept its way into the room.

Mark exited, noticing the hint of cooking eggs in the air. He found his mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

“You missed out on our walk to the beach, Minhyungie.”

Mark nodded and sat down at the dining table. “Sorry. I was really tired from the early flight.”

His mother ran her fingers through his raven hair, petting him like a puppy. “How about after dinner you go by the beach and buy something to eat tomorrow at the market?”

“Sounds good,” Mark replied. His father soon came into the dining room as dinner was served. Mark ate slowly, taking his time, but still finished first. He washed up his plate and slipped on his shoes and jacket, heading outside with a quick wave to his parents.

The breeze was still cool when he went outside, but warm enough that it was bearable. Mark headed over to the beach, which was only a ten minute or so walk. The sign of  _ Na’s Fishmongers  _ was now scratchy and the bright blue paint had faded, but still as strong as ever. Mark approached the stall, noticing a new face at the fishmongers; a boy around his age with bright pink hair. 

“Hey. Welcome to  _ Na’s Fishmongers _ . How can I help you?” The boy scratched his neck, showing off the several kandi bracelets tied around his wrist. 

“Are you new here?”

“Sort of. I’m Mister Na’s son. You can call me Jaemin,” he smirked, holding his hand out for Mark to shake, “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

Mark shook Jaemin’s hand slowly. “I have a holiday home here, just ten minutes away. We’re here for the summer.”

“That’s lovely, just you and your family? Where are you from?”

“We’re from Canada but we’re based in Seoul now,” Mark explained with a grin.

“Wow, I’m sure you must do a lot of travelling. I just live here with my dad and my boyfriend.” Jaemin held out his wrist and pulled up a bracelet of pink and white beads, the name  _ Jeno  _ lettered out on them. “He made me this.”

“That’s really sweet. So there must be really attractive boys here, huh?”

“Well, not really. Not many guys our age care about this town. Only other ones are my three other friends, but they’re also in relationships. Sorry about that.”

Mark laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“You’re cute. What’s your name?”

“Minhyung. But you can call me Mark.”

“Okay, Mark,” Jaemin grinned brightly, showing off so many teeth that Mark didn’t even know he had of his own, “I think you’re pretty sweet. You should come hang out with us. How long are you here?”

“Most of the summer, I think.”

“Then yeah, come hang out with us sometime! I’ll give you my number along with this order.”

Mark paid for some fish, as well as receiving Jaemin’s phone number on a piece of greasy paper. He waved goodbye and headed for the beach for real this time. He let his sandals and feet sink into the yellow sand, gazing over the horizon at the gentle waves. 

It was then that he noticed a boy sitting at the shore, his knees brought up to his chest, clad in white. 

Mark decided to walk over. It would be fun to make more friends, right?

He sat about a foot away from the boy, who he now noticed had a smirk on his face, his tousled purple hair blowing rather elegantly in his face.

“Hey,” the boy said.

Mark was slightly taken aback. “Oh! H-Hi.”

“My name’s Donghyuck if you’re wondering.”

Mark looked around to see if anyone else was at the beach, and suprisingly there wasn’t. “I-I’m Mark.”

“Your stuttering is real cute, you know. You can tell you’re human.”

“Wh-What else would I be?”

Donghyuck looked at him, his chocolatey eyes turning golden in sunlight. “You never know these days.”

Mark gulped. “Your eyes…”

“Hm?” the boy dressed in white giggled.

“They’re…golden,” Mark whispered in awe.

Donghyuck smiled. “That’ll be the sun. What brings you here, Mark?”

“My family own a holiday home just ten minutes away. I’m here for the summer with my parents.”

“That’s lovely…” Donghyuck sighed, looking at the sky that now hung the sun lower, like a puppet, “I’ve been living here for my entire life, and what feels like even longer.”

“What’s your last name?”

“Lee.”

“That’s cool, so’s mine.” 

The two boys smiled at each other, the sun slowly fading away into the distance.

“You’re handsome.”

“Oh, me?”

Donghyuck laughed brightly and reached for Mark’s face, cupping his cheek with his hand. “Yeah, you. Like a handsome sculpture.”

They talked until the sun sank behind the water, leaving them in darkness. Mark suspired.

“You should go, Mark. It’s getting dark,” Donghyuck said.

“What about you?” Mark stood up and brushed the sand off his shorts.

“I’ll be okay,” Donghyuck whispered, pursing his lips, “goodbye, pretty Mark.”

Mark blushed. “Goodbye.”

And with that, he left. 

The next morning, Mark headed to the shop. He vaguely remembered the journey, taking a shortcut through the graveyard. There was a lot of history in the town, and this graveyard contained a lot of it. Not much had changed, other than vegetation taking over the structures of arches and graves. 

A small tabby cat approached Mark, orange in colour. The boy kneeled down and pet its head, scratching behind its ears.

“Hey, kitty. You’re really cute,” he whispered.

The cat meowed, and began to potter away. Mark followed, intrigued if the cat had anything to show him.

Sure enough, it did. The cat sat down beside a grave and meowed again. Mark crouched and read the inscription of the grave, unsure as to why he was so curious of what the cat was showing him.

And then, he saw it.

_ Lee Donghyuck _

_ Our caring sunshine, _

_ 2000-2019 _

Mark stormed back home, grateful his parents were out socialising with neighbours. Grabbing his phone, he raised it up to try and get a signal. 

_ Lee Donghyuck,  _ he searched. One article from August last year popped up. 

_ Boy from Jeju, aged only 19, dies with sickness. _

_ Lee Donghyuck, 19, was found dead on a beach on August 2nd. Doctors later found that he had an undiagnosed illness that not even he himself knew of.  _

_ “Donghyuck was such a loving and caring boy,” his mother states in tears, “his brother and I are so shocked and we hope that God had a good place for him in Heaven.” _

_ His brother wished to remain silent. _

_ Donghyuck was known in the town to be caring and sweet, looking after the elderly and young children. He will be missed dearly by the people in his town. _

Mark put his phone down and laid on his bed in silence. It didn’t make sense. He found himself crying for a boy he never knew when he was alive. Was this  _ his  _ Donghyuck? The Donghyuck from the beach?

And if so, was he alive? Or perhaps even a ghost?

He had to find out more.

-

“Did you guys know Lee Donghyuck?”

Jeno was a very sweet boy. His fingers were always entwined with Jaemin’s. The two of them sat with Mark in a café, sipping on coffee and eating slices of cake. The atmosphere was gentle, until Mark asked the question.

Jaemin squeezed Jeno’s hand, rubbing his thumb over the elder’s knuckles.

“It’s alright, baby,” he whispered.

Jeno took in a deep breath and spoke quietly, “Donghyuck was my brother.”

Mark frowned. “Gosh, I’m so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay talking about him. He was such an amazing guy, he deserves to be talked about highly.”

“It happened so suddenly,” Jaemin whispered, “I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news.”

“Donghyuck always told me I should ask Jaemin on a date, and that he was the right one for me,” Jeno explained. He looked over into Jaemin’s eyes and smiled. “He was right. It’s weird, in a way, Donghyuck’s death kept me sad for a while, but it made Jaemin and I closer. And I remembered what Donghyuck said, about how I need to ask him on a date, and so I did.”

“I’m very glad you did. You seem a lot happier than you did back then.” 

Jeno grinned and kissed Jaemin’s cheek. “You make me this way.”

Mark smiled at the couple. “It’s really sweet. I’m glad you guys found each other and make each other happy.”

Jeno and Jaemin looked towards him, their hands tightly entwined. “What about you, Mark?” Jeno asked, “You’re a handsome guy. Are you dating somebody?”

“Oh god no,” Mark chuckled, his cheeks heating up, “I’m a bit of a nerd back in Seoul.”

Jaemin pouted and pinched Mark’s cheeks. “But you’re so handsome!”

Mark hung out with the couple some more times after that, not really feeling like a third wheel at all. They really made him feel special and warm. Mark wished he had friends like this back home.

He eventually decided to go back to the beach, one warm evening. Hopefully, Donghyuck could be there, and he could ask more about his life, if that wasn’t offensive. 

And like he could tell the future, Donghyuck was sitting on the sand with two ice cream cones.

“I knew you’d be here,” Donghyuck whispered when Mark sat down beside him. 

The boy passed a chocolate ice cream cone to him, a sweet little smile on his lips.

“Thanks…” he grinned, taking the cone and giving the cold substance a lick, “fuck, that’s good.”

“I’ve always liked ice cream,” Donghyuck started, looking out to the ocean.

Mark looked left at him, taking in his beauty in the sinking sun. “You’re a ghost, aren’t you?”

Donghyuck licked his strawberry ice cream, his lips covered in baby pink. “Haechan showed you?”

Mark tilted his head in perplexion. “Haechan?”

“My cat,” Donghyuck smiled.

Mark opened his mouth and nodded. “Your grave.”

“You’re the first person who's been able to see me, Mark Lee. That makes you special. It means we were meant to meet here.”

Mark found himself blushing, unsure why he was. 

“Let’s finish our ice cream and play in the sand.”

And so they did. They bit into the lasts of their cones and ran around in the sand, the chilling breeze from the sea intertwining them together, like two fish swimming around peacefully.

Donghyuck entwined their fingers at some point, but Mark didn’t even really notice. It felt like running around with an old friend. 

What he did notice was that Donghyuck ran in the air. He looked slightly more transparent than he had before, and he was running just slightly higher up than Mark. He put it down to  _ ghost stuff. _

When the sun had set, Donghyuck floated back to the ground. His eyes were brighter in the moonlight, like tiny lighthouses.

“I met your brother and his boyfriend,” Mark announced, squeezing Donghyuck’s hand.

“Jen finally asked Jaem out?” Donghyuck grinned. He seemed happier than Mark had ever seen him. “I miss my brother…I would like to show myself to him one day.”

“Why don’t you?”

“There's something I have to do first,” Donghyuck smiled, “go home, Mark Lee.”

-

They met up more times after that. Donghyuck continued to get them ice cream, and they’d run around in the sand together more. Donghyuck told him more about his life, about how he used to volunteer at schools and churches, and liked buying groceries for the elderly in the town who couldn’t leave their homes. He also talked about his hobbies, how he enjoyed to sing and draw. In return, Mark told him about his life in Seoul, about his school and his parents, and his own hobbies, such as playing the guitar. 

Donghyuck seemed so intrigued in Mark’s life, and showed such genuine interest. 

And for once, Mark felt so special, when he laid in Donghyuck’s lap and listened to the ghost’s singing. 

There was something about Donghyuck. Not the fact that he was a ghost, but the fact that he was so wise and beautiful. 

Mark felt warm, and in love.

-

Eventually, it felt wrong that he had been communicating with Jeno’s long lost brother and hadn’t told him about it. And so, on the next meet up Mark had with Jeno and Jaemin at their apartment, he explained everything.

The two were displeased, to say the least.

“You…what?”

“I’m telling you, I’ve been meeting up with Donghyuck. He’s told me so much about you two and how he grew up, he loved volunteering and singing and buying groceries for old people!”

Jeno furrowed his eyebrows, tears threatening to fall on his cheeks. “Mark, why would you make something up like that?”

“I’m not, I have no reason to lie to you!” Mark exclaimed, “He loves strawberry ice cream and you guys have a cat called Haechan and-”

“Mark, shut up!” Jeno yelled, hiding his face in his hands, “I’ve spent a whole year trying to get over the death of my brother, and now you make up some shit about seeing his  _ ghost _ ?!”

Jaemin wrapped his arm around Jeno in an instant, pulling the sobbing boy into his chest. “Baby, it’s okay,” he soothed, “maybe Mark had a dream he thought was real. It could just be a coincidence he knows those things about Hyuckie, right?” 

As Jeno weeped, Jaemin laid plenty of kisses in his hair to ease him, like a crying child. 

“Mark, I think you should leave…” the youngest whispered.

“Yeah…I’m sorry, Jeno,” Mark mumbled, leaving the apartment quickly.

As he left, Mark felt tears fall down his own face. He was such an idiot; it would never be a good idea to tell Jeno about the ghost of his lost brother. But Mark knew what he saw, what he was seeing, who he’d fallen in love with; the ghost of Lee Donghyuck.

-

The next time they met, Mark helped Donghyuck write their initials in the sand.  _ D + M. _

“It’s pretty,” Donghyuck exclaimed, entwining his fingers with Mark’s.

Mark nodded in agreement, proud of their work, even though it wasn’t much. 

After that, Mark got ice cream from the ice cream van. A strawberry and a chocolate. That day, they tried each other’s flavours for a bit.

“I told Jeno and Jaemin I saw you,” Mark sighed, “Jeno got upset.”

Donghyuck stood up and smiled sadly. “It’s been tough for him.”

“Is it a good idea you make yourself visible to him?” Mark asked, looking up at the sunshine boy.

“It will, in time. There’s just something I must do.”

Donghyuck floated away to the grass, not looking behind him. Like a puppy, Mark followed after with his chocolate ice cream. 

Donghyuck stayed floating, so he was slightly taller than Mark. “Come close to me, Mark.”

Mark took a couple of steps forward, eyeing up Donghyuck before him. “Yeah?”

It happened like a dream, in slow motion. The ghost wrapped his arms around Mark’s neck, fingers running into the hair on his nape. 

The second Donghyuck’s lips brushed against Mark’s, the human felt alive again. Like life was sucked back into him via Donghyuck’s mouth. He hadn’t even noticed the ice cream cone had fallen onto a patch of grass beneath them. 

Mark kissed him back, his arms bending around Donghyuck’s waist. 

_ Mark’s first kiss. _

When Donghyuck pulled away, he left smiles on their lips, tingles of magic still there between them.

“Thank you.” 

And with that, Mark’s in love, for sure.

-

“I’m going to see Jeno.”

Mark and Donghyuck had been laying in Mark’s bed for an hour in silence, both of them with no shirts. They wanted to cuddle, but it had been too hot.

“Is it gonna be okay?”

“Yeah. Will you take me to him? You have to be with me,” Donghyuck whispered.

Mark stared up at the ceiling fan, the fastest thing next to his heartbeat, with Donghyuck snuggled up to his chest in a tight embrace. “Yeah, I’ll come with you.”

For a ghost, his skin was soft.

-

Mark knocked on the apartment door lightly, and soon Jaemin answered.

“Oh, hello Mark, I-” he started, when his eyes glanced over at Donghyuck’s ghost. He stayed silent, his jaw slack, “H-Hyuckie?”

Donghyuck stepped forward, wrapping his arms around the younger. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here. Not alive, but I’m here,” he soothed.

Jaemin hugged him back instantly, a lone tear falling down his cheek. “You’re so real…”

“Yeah. I can’t stay for long though, I have to talk to Jeno before I leave for good.”

Jaemin nodded, pulling away. “He’s in our bedroom.”

Donghyuck entered straight after.

Jaemin looked up at Mark. “I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you.”

“I shouldn't have expected you to. You were still grieving,” Mark said.

Jaemin kissed his cheek, embracing him warmly. “You’re a good friend, Mark.”

The two of them walked inside the apartment, shutting the door behind them. Donghyuck was already in the bedroom, and left the door open. They peered in, not wanting to intrude.

Jeno was at Donghyuck’s knees, hugging his legs, the ghost’s fingers in his hair. “It’s okay, Jeno.”

“I-I’m so weak…you have no idea how hard it is. Donghyuckie,” he sobbed, “please stay. I’m not happy. I have to be for Jaemin but without you, I-I feel useless.”

Donghyuck crouched down and cupped his brother’s cheeks. “Jeno…you have the ability to be strong. I know you can do it. You have Jaemin now, you’re gonna marry him and have kids and you’re gonna be happy. You’re gonna remember me with a smile. You’re gonna look after Haechannie and you’re gonna have your own little house, just like the one we dreamed of as kids.” The ghost let a hand comb through the weeping boy’s hair. “I always love you, Jeno. Even when we argued, I always loved you. We’re brothers, right?”

Jeno sobbed into his brother’s chest, whimpering as he nodded. “I-I love you, Donghyuck.”

“I love you more. And I always will,” Donghyuck whispered, “I beg you, don’t let my death ruin your future and your plans.”

Jeno nodded. “Okay, a-and I’ll continue to honour you, you know?”

“You’re such a good brother, Jeno. And you’re gonna be an amazing husband, and father.”

Donghyuck pressed a kiss to Jeno’s forehead, before standing up. “I need to go.”

Jeno squeezed his hands tightly, before letting his brother move away.

Donghyuck left in an instant.

Jaemin ran to his lover and held him tightly, kissing his face like how he liked to be soothed.

Mark stood far back, looking at the floor.

“M-Mark, I’m s-so sorry…”

“Don’t be, Jeno,” Mark whispered, crouching in front of him.

Closure is always helpful.

“I-I love you guys so much,” Jeno said quietly.

-

“I wish summer would last forever,” Mark whispered to Donghyuck, who laid next to him.

“Me too,” Donghyuck said at the same volume.

Mark didn’t have very long left at Jeju now, and he had no idea what was to come. The air was so warm in Jeju, and soon the cold air would return when Mark left for Seoul.

Donghyuck moved to hover over Mark, pressing many kisses to his mouth. Mark let the ghost kiss him as he pleased, cupping his slight transparent cheeks. Each kiss was magical in itself.

“Mark, darling, I have to tell you something.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m stuck in this world,” Donghyuck explained, “I was sent here as a ghost to complete tasks before I can go to Heaven. And I finally know what my last task is. If I don’t complete it, I’ll be stuck in Purgatory forever.” 

The ghost pulled Mark’s hand to his chest, and the human could feel how he could almost move his hand through Donghyuck, like he wasn’t there.

“Once it’s complete, I won’t be in pain anymore. I can go to Heaven and be happy.” Donghyuck moved his hands to cup Mark’s face, “I’m so happy with you, Mark. But…I have to do this. I’m fading away.”

“Th-Then what’s your last task?”

“You wanna know why you could only see me to begin with?”

Mark tilted his head forward.

“You’re my soulmate. I’ve been sitting on that beach since I died, waiting for my soulmate to come and help me complete my tasks. When you came, I was so elated, and I really, really fell in love with you, Mark Lee. My last task…is for my soulmate to tell me he loves me. After that, I’ll disappear and go to Heaven.”

Mark sat with his mouth open. Donghyuck couldn’t just leave him! Not after Mark was sure he loved him now!

“B-But-”

Donghyuck leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Mark, please…I won’t have a soul. I’ll be stuck, lingering in Purgatory. I-I’ll be in pain, I’m scared of it. Y-You gotta tell me you love me, Mark.”

Mark had never seen Donghyuck scared. It terrified him.

The human found himself weeping. “Donghyuck…”

The ghost cupped his cheeks and began to cry too. “I know, darling. I know. I wanna see you all the time. I’m gonna watch over you in Heaven, I’ll make sure I do. I’d like for you to fall in love with somebody, settle down in a pretty house and have beautiful children. Just like Jeno will. I really wish that that happens for you.”

Mark whimpered, grabbing onto Donghyuck’s shirt. “K-Kiss me one last time.”

Donghyuck pounced, hovering above Mark once more. He planted a long and passionate kiss on the human’s lips, holding Mark in place. 

Mark closed his eyes, holding Donghyuck’s waist. This was true love. 

Out of all the romantic movies Mark had watched, nothing would ever come close to this; nothing would ever come close to the touches and the kisses and the warmth of Lee Donghyuck, the sun in its flesh.

“I love you, Mark Lee.”

Mark looked up at Donghyuck’s face surrounded by the sunshine above them. He cupped his face with one hand and sighed, tears continuing to roll down his face. 

“I love you too, Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck grinned, pecking Mark’s lips for the last time.

“Let’s hope this isn’t goodbye.”

And with that, Donghyuck faded into nothing. 

Mark sobbed until he was dehydrated. Suddenly, the warm air of Jeju Island wasn’t so comforting. Mark was cold, trembling. 

A hint of sunshine seeped through the cotton clouds. Mark knew it was Donghyuck, it would always be Donghyuck. But unfortunately, the warmth of the sun was too far away.

It rained after that.


End file.
